Atlético-Juventus: Diego Costa eyeing Champions League

The Spain striker has returned to full training and will aim to get some playing time against Rayo before challenging for a place against Juventus.

Diego Costa’s protracted return to Atlético Madrid from Chelsea has not been the shot in the arm Diego Simeone hoped it would provide his squad with the Spain striker, the club’s record signing at the time at 66 million euros, scoring just twice in the league and Champions League this season before succumbing to a foot injury that required surgery last December.

Now the two strikers, who have never played together for club or country, will be vying for the right to partner Antoine Griezmann in the Atlético attack, initially against Rayo in LaLiga this coming weekend, before the visit of Serie A giants Juventus and Cristiano Ronaldo on 20 March.

Against Rayo it seems likely that Morata will get the nod with Costa featuring at some stage from the bench.

Simeone will then have to make the decision whether to start Morata against his former club Juventus or opt for the more habitual pairing of Griezmann and Costa, who are more used to each other and better read each other’s intentions when Atlético attack: against Madrid, Griezmann and Morata exchanged only one pass.